US20090214274A1 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents
Image forming apparatus Download PDFInfo
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- US20090214274A1 US20090214274A1 US12/393,896 US39389609A US2009214274A1 US 20090214274 A1 US20090214274 A1 US 20090214274A1 US 39389609 A US39389609 A US 39389609A US 2009214274 A1 US2009214274 A1 US 2009214274A1
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- Prior art keywords
- belt
- frame
- image forming
- tension
- forming apparatus
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
- G03G15/14—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for transferring a pattern to a second base
- G03G15/16—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for transferring a pattern to a second base of a toner pattern, e.g. a powder pattern, e.g. magnetic transfer
- G03G15/1665—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for transferring a pattern to a second base of a toner pattern, e.g. a powder pattern, e.g. magnetic transfer by introducing the second base in the nip formed by the recording member and at least one transfer member, e.g. in combination with bias or heat
- G03G15/167—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for transferring a pattern to a second base of a toner pattern, e.g. a powder pattern, e.g. magnetic transfer by introducing the second base in the nip formed by the recording member and at least one transfer member, e.g. in combination with bias or heat at least one of the recording member or the transfer member being rotatable during the transfer
- G03G15/1685—Structure, details of the transfer member, e.g. chemical composition
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- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G03G2215/00—Apparatus for electrophotographic processes
- G03G2215/01—Apparatus for electrophotographic processes for producing multicoloured copies
- G03G2215/0103—Plural electrographic recording members
- G03G2215/0119—Linear arrangement adjacent plural transfer points
- G03G2215/0138—Linear arrangement adjacent plural transfer points primary transfer to a recording medium carried by a transport belt
- G03G2215/0141—Linear arrangement adjacent plural transfer points primary transfer to a recording medium carried by a transport belt the linear arrangement being horizontal
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- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G03G2215/00—Apparatus for electrophotographic processes
- G03G2215/16—Transferring device, details
- G03G2215/1604—Main transfer electrode
- G03G2215/1623—Transfer belt
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material by electrophotography, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus to which a belt unit having a belt stretched by a plurality of stretching members is removably mounted.
- a toner image on a photosensitive drum is electrostatically transferred onto a belt (or a recording material on the belt) that is stretched by a plurality of tension rollers serving as stretching members.
- the belt and the tension rollers are combined into one belt unit and the belt unit is removably mounted in the main body of the image forming apparatus.
- Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-139176 discloses a structure for positioning such a belt unit relative to the apparatus body.
- positioning is performed by directly pressing two tension rollers, by which a surface of a belt facing a photosensitive drum is stretched, against positioning portions provided in a frame of the apparatus body so that the tension rollers engage with the positioning portions.
- one of the two tension rollers has space with respect to the corresponding positioning portion in the frame of the apparatus body. This prevents interference of the center distance between the two tension rollers with the positioning portions in the frame of the apparatus body. Since the center distance between the tension rollers is determined by the positioning portions in the frame, an error of alignment of the tension rollers can be minimized.
- the present invention enhances operability and minimizes wear of tension rollers during replacement of a belt unit.
- An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member configured to bear a toner image; a main body having an apparatus body frame; a positioning portion provided in the apparatus body frame; a removable belt unit configured to be engaged with the positioning portion so as to be positioned in the main body, the belt unit including a belt configured to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member onto a recording material, first and second stretching members configured to stretch an inner surface of the belt, a third stretching member configured to stretch the inner surface of the belt so as to apply tension to the belt, and a belt frame configured to hold the first, second, and third stretching members; and a pressure removing member configured to move the third stretching member from a first position to apply the tension to the belt to a second position to remove the tension from the belt.
- the tension is applied to the belt by moving the third stretching member from the second position to the first position by the pressure removing member.
- FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus.
- FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus.
- FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus in a state in which a door is open.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus, illustrating replacement of a process cartridge.
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus, illustrating replacement of a belt unit.
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the relationship between a belt unit and positioning portions in an apparatus body according to a first embodiment.
- FIG. 7 is a side view of the belt unit in the first embodiment.
- FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing the principal part of the belt unit in the first embodiment.
- FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a pressure removing mechanism for the belt unit in the first embodiment.
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the relationship between a belt unit and positioning portions in an apparatus body according to a second embodiment.
- FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing the principal part of the belt unit in the second embodiment.
- FIGS. 1 to 9 An image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9 .
- a laser beam printer is given as an example of an image forming apparatus.
- color toner images on photosensitive drums serving as image bearing members are sequentially transferred onto a belt, and are then simultaneously transferred from the belt onto a recording material.
- FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the image forming apparatus
- FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus.
- Recording media S stacked in a feeder tray 102 are fed by a feeding roller 103 that rotates counterclockwise in the figures, are conveyed to conveying rollers 104 , and are then conveyed to a nip portion (primary transfer nip portion) between a facing roller 105 and a transfer roller 106 .
- Photosensitive drums 111 , 112 , 113 , and 114 serving as image bearing members that constitute image forming sections rotate counterclockwise in the figures.
- electrostatic latent images are sequentially formed on outer peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 111 , 112 , 113 , and 114 by laser light from a laser scanner 120 , and are then developed by developing rollers so as to form toner images.
- the toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 111 , 112 , 113 , and 114 are transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt 130 .
- toner images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are respectively developed on the photosensitive drums 111 , 112 , 113 , and 114 , and are then sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 130 .
- the toner images formed on the intermediate transfer belt 130 are transferred together onto a recording material S that is conveyed to the nip portion (secondary transfer nip portion) between the facing roller 105 and the transfer roller 106 .
- the recording material S on which the toner images have been transferred is conveyed to a nip portion between a fixing film 107 and a pressure roller 108 , and is fixed onto the recording material S by heat and pressure.
- the recording material S is discharged by discharge rollers 109 and 110 .
- the photosensitive drums 111 , 112 , 113 , and 114 are combined with processing devices that act on the drums into process cartridges C 111 , C 112 , C 113 , and C 114 .
- the process cartridges C 111 , C 112 , C 113 , and C 114 are removably mounted in the main body of the image forming apparatus.
- a process cartridge refers to a cartridge formed by a combination of an image bearing member, and a charging device, a developing device, and a cleaning device serving as processing devices acting on the image bearing member. This cartridge is removably mounted in the body of the image forming apparatus.
- FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus in which a cartridge door is open.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus, illustrating replacement of the process cartridges.
- FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the image forming apparatus, illustrating replacement of a belt unit.
- the cartridges are replaced by a front access method while being placed on a pull-out tray. That is, a cartridge door 140 is provided at the front of the image forming apparatus.
- the cartridge door 140 opens and closes to form an opening through which the cartridges can be inserted into an apparatus body 101 and can be removed from the apparatus body 101 .
- the cartridge door 140 can open and close by pivoting relative to the apparatus body 101 on a lateral shaft 141 provided at the lower side thereof.
- the process cartridges C 111 , C 112 , C 113 , and C 114 are removably mounted in a cartridge tray 144 to be inserted into and drawn out from the apparatus body 101 .
- the cartridge tray 144 is held by a pair of tray holding members 143 (see FIG. 5 ) provided in right and left frames of the apparatus body 101 that constitute an apparatus body frame.
- the cartridge tray 144 is horizontally slidable in the frontward and rearward directions.
- the frontward direction refers to a direction in which the tray 144 is drawn out from the apparatus body 101
- the rearward direction refers to a direction in which the tray 144 is inserted into the apparatus body 101 .
- the tray holding members 143 move upward in the frontward direction by a predetermined amount in association with the opening pivotal motion of the cartridge door 140 . With the movement of the tray holding members 143 , the cartridge tray 144 also moves upward, and the photosensitive drums 111 to 114 are raised from the intermediate transfer belt 130 , so that the cartridge tray 144 becomes ready to be drawn out of the apparatus body 101 .
- the belt unit 125 includes the intermediate transfer belt 130 used to transfer toner images from the photosensitive drums onto a recording material.
- the belt unit 125 also includes a facing roller 105 serving as a first stretching member and a driving roller 121 serving as a second stretching member.
- the facing roller 105 and the driving roller 121 stretch the intermediate transfer belt 130 by contact with an inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt 130 , that is, stretch a surface of the intermediate transfer belt 130 facing the photosensitive drums 111 , 112 , 113 , and 114 .
- the driving roller 121 also functions as a driving source for rotating the belt unit 125 .
- the facing roller 105 also functions as a roller for forming the secondary transfer nip portion between the facing roller 105 and the transfer roller 106 so that the intermediate transfer belt 130 lies therebetween, as described above.
- the belt unit 125 also includes a tension roller 122 serving as a third stretching member that stretches the intermediate transfer belt 130 and applies tension to the intermediate transfer belt 130 .
- the third stretching member urges the intermediate transfer belt 130 from the inner side toward the outer side by a force greater than the forces of the first and second stretching members.
- These rollers 105 , 121 , and 122 are held by a belt frame 124 .
- the belt frame 124 includes a first belt frame portion 124 a serving as a first frame portion and a belt frame portion 124 b serving as a second frame portion.
- One of the belt frame portions 124 a and 124 b is movable relative to the other belt frame portion, and the belt frame portions 124 a and 124 b are combined into the belt unit 125 that is removably mounted in the apparatus body 101 .
- the belt unit 125 is positioned in the apparatus body 101 by engaging with positioning portions 126 a and 126 b provided in an apparatus body frame 126 that constitute the apparatus body 101 with the right and left frames of the apparatus body 101 .
- the belt unit 125 is replaced in a state in which the cartridge door 140 is open and the cartridge tray 144 is drawn out of the apparatus body 101 , as shown in FIG. 4 .
- the belt unit 125 is disengaged from the positioning portions 126 a and 126 b in the apparatus body frame 126 by lifting the front side of the belt unit 125 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5 , so that the belt unit 125 can be drawn forward from the apparatus body 101 .
- FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the relationship between the belt unit 125 and the positioning portions 126 a and 126 b of the apparatus body frame 126 .
- FIG. 7 is a side view of the belt unit 125 .
- a bearing portion 105 a is provided in the first belt frame portion 124 a , and serves as a first holding portion for holing a rotation shaft of the facing roller 105 that is in contact with the inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt 130 so as to stretch the intermediate transfer belt 130 .
- a bearing portion 121 a is provided in the second belt frame portion 124 b , and serves as a second holding portion for holding a rotation shaft of the driving roller 121 that is in contact with the inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt 130 so as to stretch the intermediate transfer belt 130 .
- the facing roller 105 is stretched by the belt frame portion 124 a
- the driving roller 121 is stretched by the belt frame portion 124 b .
- the belt unit 125 By engaging the bearing portions 105 a and 121 a with the positioning portions 126 a and 126 b of the apparatus body frame 126 , the belt unit 125 is positioned in the apparatus body 101 .
- the belt frame portions 124 a and 124 b that constitute the belt frame 124 are movable in a direction in which the intermediate transfer belt 130 extends (the directions of the arrows in FIG. 7 ).
- the facing roller 105 and the driving roller 121 can be aligned by the apparatus body frame 126 by engaging the bearing portion 105 a of the facing roller 105 with the positioning portion 126 a of the apparatus body frame 126 and engaging the bearing portion 121 a of the driving roller 121 with the positioning portion 126 b of the apparatus body frame 126 . For this reason, it is possible to ensure a high positioning accuracy between the facing roller 105 and the driving roller 121 and to achieve stable belt running.
- a cleaning portion 127 for removing residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 130 and a detecting portion 128 for detecting a toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 130 are respectively positioned and fixed to the belt frame portions 124 a and 124 b . This ensures a high positioning accuracy between the rollers 105 and 121 while maintaining the positional relationship between the rollers 105 and 121 , and the cleaning portion 127 and the detecting portion 128 .
- a pressure removing member 129 moves the tension roller 122 serving as the third stretching member from a first position to apply tension to the intermediate transfer belt 130 to a second position to remove the tension.
- the pressure removing member 129 is provided in the belt frame portion 124 b .
- the tension roller 122 serving as the third stretching member is moved from the first position to the second position, and the intermediate transfer belt 130 is freed from tension applied by the tension roller 122 .
- the bearing portion 105 a of the facing roller 105 is engaged with the positioning portion 126 a of the apparatus body frame 126 and the bearing portion 121 a of the driving roller 121 is engaged with the positioning portion 126 b of the apparatus body frame 126 in a state in which the tension roller 122 serving as the third stretching member is at the second position.
- the belt unit 125 is positioned by the apparatus body frame 126 . Since tension is not applied from the third stretching member to the intermediate transfer belt 130 when the belt unit 125 is mounted in the apparatus body frame 126 , the belt unit 125 can be easily positioned and engaged with the positioning portions 126 a and 126 b of the apparatus body frame 126 . Moreover, the bearing portions are prevented from being worn during mounting.
- the tension roller 122 is moved from the second position to the first position, and applies tension to the intermediate transfer belt 130 .
- the pressure removing member 129 can be moved from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position manually or automatically.
- the application of tension from the tension roller 122 to the intermediate transfer belt 130 is canceled by moving the pressure removing member 129 to the position shown in FIG. 8 , as described above.
- tension is applied from the tension roller 122 to the intermediate transfer belt 130 .
- a pressure removing mechanism 131 including a pressure removing member shown in FIG. 9 .
- the pressure removing mechanism 131 is automatically driven by the transmission of a driving force from the apparatus body to a pressure removing gear 131 a .
- the driving force transmitted to the pressure removing gear 131 a is further transmitted to pressure removing gears 131 b , 131 c , and 131 d .
- the pressure removing gear 131 d has a cam (not shown), and the cam moves a slide member 131 e in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 9 by the transmission of the driving force.
- Arm members 131 f are thereby moved in the direction of the arrow, holding members 131 g holding the tension roller 122 are turned, and the tension roller 122 moves to the second position to free the intermediate transfer belt 130 from the tension.
- the holding members 131 g also serve as pressure removing members. Since the tension can be automatically removed in this way, it is unnecessary to apply tension when the belt unit 125 is mounted, and the pressure can be automatically removed when the belt unit 125 is removed. This makes replacement of the belt unit 125 easier, and enhances usability.
- the two rollers namely, the facing roller 105 and the driving roller 121 can be aligned by the apparatus body frame 126 by engaging the bearing portion 105 a of the facing roller 105 with the positioning portion 126 a of the frame 126 and engaging the bearing portion 121 a of the driving roller 121 with the positioning portion 126 b of the frame 126 .
- a high positioning accuracy between the facing roller 105 and the driving roller 121 can be ensured, and stable belt running is possible when the belt unit 125 is mounted in the apparatus body.
- FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the belt unit of the second embodiment.
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the principal part of the belt unit of the second embodiment.
- the second embodiment is substantially identical to the above-described first embodiment except for the structure of the belt unit that will be described below. Therefore, members having equivalent functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.
- a belt unit 125 is fixed by screws to portions shown by the arrows in FIG. 10 in a state in which rollers 105 and 121 stretched by belt frame portions 124 a and 124 b are aligned by a positioning tool 132 .
- This can ensure the accuracies of the rollers 105 and 121 that stretch a surface of a belt 130 facing photosensitive drums.
- it is sufficient to engage only one of the bearings with the corresponding positioning portion.
- a belt frame 124 also includes a center frame portion 133 serving as a third frame for fixing the belt frame portions 124 a and 124 b .
- the belt frame portions 124 a and 124 b holding the rollers 105 and 121 are fixed to the center frame 133 by screws.
- the frame portion 124 b is movable relative to the center frame portion 133 .
- an adhesive material such as an adhesive or a double-sided adhesive tape, is provided in a screwing portion 133 a of the center frame portion 133 , and the frame portion 124 b is screwed in a state in which the adhesive material lies between the frame portion 124 b and the center frame portion 133 . This can prevent displacement due to the tension of the belt.
- the image forming apparatus uses four image forming sections each including the photosensitive drum and so on, the number of image forming sections is not limited, and can be appropriately determined as needed.
- each process cartridge removably mounted in the image forming apparatus body includes, in combination, a photosensitive drum, and a charging device, a developing device, and a cleaning device serving as processing devices acting on the photosensitive drum.
- the structure of the process cartridge is not limited to the above, and the process cartridge may include, in combination, a photosensitive drum and any one of a charging device, a developing device, and a cleaning device.
- the printer has been given as an example of an image forming apparatus in the above-described embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto.
- Other image forming apparatuses can be used as long as they include a detachable belt unit having a belt stretched by a plurality of stretching members.
- an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine, or an image forming apparatus having functions of these machines in combination, such as a multifunction apparatus, can be used.
- an image forming apparatus that uses a recording-material bearing member as the belt, that causes a recording material to be electrostatically drawn on the recording-material bearing member, and that sequentially transfers color toner images onto the recording material so that the images are superposed can be used.
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Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material by electrophotography, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus to which a belt unit having a belt stretched by a plurality of stretching members is removably mounted.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- In known electrophotographic image forming apparatuses, a toner image on a photosensitive drum is electrostatically transferred onto a belt (or a recording material on the belt) that is stretched by a plurality of tension rollers serving as stretching members. In these image forming apparatuses, it is known that the belt and the tension rollers are combined into one belt unit and the belt unit is removably mounted in the main body of the image forming apparatus.
- Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-139176 discloses a structure for positioning such a belt unit relative to the apparatus body. In this structure disclosed in the publication, positioning is performed by directly pressing two tension rollers, by which a surface of a belt facing a photosensitive drum is stretched, against positioning portions provided in a frame of the apparatus body so that the tension rollers engage with the positioning portions.
- In this case, one of the two tension rollers has space with respect to the corresponding positioning portion in the frame of the apparatus body. This prevents interference of the center distance between the two tension rollers with the positioning portions in the frame of the apparatus body. Since the center distance between the tension rollers is determined by the positioning portions in the frame, an error of alignment of the tension rollers can be minimized.
- Unfortunately, in the above-described publication, during replacement of the belt unit, the belt is tensioned by the tension rollers. In the belt unit, one bearing portion is fixed to the interior of the belt unit, and another bearing portion is biased by the tension of the belt in a direction to decrease the center distance between the tension rollers. For this reason, when replacing the belt unit, it is necessary to engage the tension rollers with the positioning portions of the frame while increasing the center distance between the tension rollers against the tension. This may reduce operability during replacement of the belt unit. Moreover, when the tension rollers are engaged with the positioning portions in the frame of the apparatus body in a state in which the center distance therebetween is reduced, they may be worn by rubbing against the positioning portions because of the tension.
- The present invention enhances operability and minimizes wear of tension rollers during replacement of a belt unit.
- An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes an image bearing member configured to bear a toner image; a main body having an apparatus body frame; a positioning portion provided in the apparatus body frame; a removable belt unit configured to be engaged with the positioning portion so as to be positioned in the main body, the belt unit including a belt configured to transfer the toner image from the image bearing member onto a recording material, first and second stretching members configured to stretch an inner surface of the belt, a third stretching member configured to stretch the inner surface of the belt so as to apply tension to the belt, and a belt frame configured to hold the first, second, and third stretching members; and a pressure removing member configured to move the third stretching member from a first position to apply the tension to the belt to a second position to remove the tension from the belt. After the belt unit is positioned in the main body by engaging the first and second stretching members with the positioning portion of the apparatus body frame in a state in which the third stretching member is placed at the second position by the pressure removing member, the tension is applied to the belt by moving the third stretching member from the second position to the first position by the pressure removing member.
- Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus. -
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus. -
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus in a state in which a door is open. -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus, illustrating replacement of a process cartridge. -
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus, illustrating replacement of a belt unit. -
FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the relationship between a belt unit and positioning portions in an apparatus body according to a first embodiment. -
FIG. 7 is a side view of the belt unit in the first embodiment. -
FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view showing the principal part of the belt unit in the first embodiment. -
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a pressure removing mechanism for the belt unit in the first embodiment. -
FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the relationship between a belt unit and positioning portions in an apparatus body according to a second embodiment. -
FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing the principal part of the belt unit in the second embodiment. - Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the structural components described in the following preferred embodiments are to be appropriately modified in accordance with the structure and various conditions of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied. Therefore, the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, unless otherwise specified.
- An image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to
FIGS. 1 to 9 . In the first embodiment, a laser beam printer is given as an example of an image forming apparatus. In the image forming apparatus, color toner images on photosensitive drums serving as image bearing members are sequentially transferred onto a belt, and are then simultaneously transferred from the belt onto a recording material. - First, the overall configuration and functions of a laser beam printer serving as the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment will be described with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2 .FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the image forming apparatus, andFIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus. - Recording media S stacked in a
feeder tray 102 are fed by afeeding roller 103 that rotates counterclockwise in the figures, are conveyed to conveyingrollers 104, and are then conveyed to a nip portion (primary transfer nip portion) between a facingroller 105 and atransfer roller 106. -
Photosensitive drums photosensitive drums laser scanner 120, and are then developed by developing rollers so as to form toner images. - The toner images formed on the
photosensitive drums intermediate transfer belt 130. In order to form a color image, toner images of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black are respectively developed on thephotosensitive drums intermediate transfer belt 130. - The toner images formed on the
intermediate transfer belt 130 are transferred together onto a recording material S that is conveyed to the nip portion (secondary transfer nip portion) between the facingroller 105 and thetransfer roller 106. - The recording material S on which the toner images have been transferred is conveyed to a nip portion between a
fixing film 107 and apressure roller 108, and is fixed onto the recording material S by heat and pressure. - After the toner images are fixed, the recording material S is discharged by
discharge rollers - The
photosensitive drums - Next, a method of replacing the process cartridges will be described briefly with reference to
FIGS. 3 to 5 .FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus in which a cartridge door is open.FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus, illustrating replacement of the process cartridges.FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the image forming apparatus, illustrating replacement of a belt unit. - In the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment, in order to enhance operability, the cartridges are replaced by a front access method while being placed on a pull-out tray. That is, a
cartridge door 140 is provided at the front of the image forming apparatus. Thecartridge door 140 opens and closes to form an opening through which the cartridges can be inserted into anapparatus body 101 and can be removed from theapparatus body 101. In the first embodiment, thecartridge door 140 can open and close by pivoting relative to theapparatus body 101 on alateral shaft 141 provided at the lower side thereof. - As shown in
FIG. 4 , the process cartridges C111, C112, C113, and C114 are removably mounted in acartridge tray 144 to be inserted into and drawn out from theapparatus body 101. Thecartridge tray 144 is held by a pair of tray holding members 143 (seeFIG. 5 ) provided in right and left frames of theapparatus body 101 that constitute an apparatus body frame. Thecartridge tray 144 is horizontally slidable in the frontward and rearward directions. Here, the frontward direction refers to a direction in which thetray 144 is drawn out from theapparatus body 101, and the rearward direction refers to a direction in which thetray 144 is inserted into theapparatus body 101. Thetray holding members 143 move upward in the frontward direction by a predetermined amount in association with the opening pivotal motion of thecartridge door 140. With the movement of thetray holding members 143, thecartridge tray 144 also moves upward, and thephotosensitive drums 111 to 114 are raised from theintermediate transfer belt 130, so that thecartridge tray 144 becomes ready to be drawn out of theapparatus body 101. - When the
cartridge tray 144 is drawn out of theapparatus body 101, as shown inFIG. 4 , the upper sides of the process cartridges C111, C112, C113, and C114 are opened, and the process cartridges C111, C112, C113, and C114 become ready to be removed in the directions of the arrows. In order to mount the process cartridges C111, C112, C113, and C114, the removal procedure is reversed. - A method of mounting and removing a
belt unit 125 will now be described with reference toFIG. 5 . First, the structure of thebelt unit 125 shown inFIG. 5 will be described with reference toFIG. 2 . Thebelt unit 125 includes theintermediate transfer belt 130 used to transfer toner images from the photosensitive drums onto a recording material. Thebelt unit 125 also includes a facingroller 105 serving as a first stretching member and a drivingroller 121 serving as a second stretching member. The facingroller 105 and the drivingroller 121 stretch theintermediate transfer belt 130 by contact with an inner surface of theintermediate transfer belt 130, that is, stretch a surface of theintermediate transfer belt 130 facing thephotosensitive drums roller 121 also functions as a driving source for rotating thebelt unit 125. The facingroller 105 also functions as a roller for forming the secondary transfer nip portion between the facingroller 105 and thetransfer roller 106 so that theintermediate transfer belt 130 lies therebetween, as described above. - The
belt unit 125 also includes atension roller 122 serving as a third stretching member that stretches theintermediate transfer belt 130 and applies tension to theintermediate transfer belt 130. The third stretching member urges theintermediate transfer belt 130 from the inner side toward the outer side by a force greater than the forces of the first and second stretching members. Theserollers belt frame 124. Thebelt frame 124 includes a firstbelt frame portion 124 a serving as a first frame portion and abelt frame portion 124 b serving as a second frame portion. - One of the
belt frame portions belt frame portions belt unit 125 that is removably mounted in theapparatus body 101. - The
belt unit 125 is positioned in theapparatus body 101 by engaging withpositioning portions apparatus body frame 126 that constitute theapparatus body 101 with the right and left frames of theapparatus body 101. Thebelt unit 125 is replaced in a state in which thecartridge door 140 is open and thecartridge tray 144 is drawn out of theapparatus body 101, as shown inFIG. 4 . After thecartridge tray 144 is removed, thebelt unit 125 is disengaged from the positioningportions apparatus body frame 126 by lifting the front side of thebelt unit 125 in the direction of the arrow inFIG. 5 , so that thebelt unit 125 can be drawn forward from theapparatus body 101. - A positioning structure for the
belt unit 125 will now be described with reference toFIGS. 6 and 7 .FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the relationship between thebelt unit 125 and thepositioning portions apparatus body frame 126.FIG. 7 is a side view of thebelt unit 125. - Referring to
FIG. 6 , a bearingportion 105a is provided in the firstbelt frame portion 124 a, and serves as a first holding portion for holing a rotation shaft of the facingroller 105 that is in contact with the inner surface of theintermediate transfer belt 130 so as to stretch theintermediate transfer belt 130. A bearingportion 121 a is provided in the secondbelt frame portion 124 b, and serves as a second holding portion for holding a rotation shaft of the drivingroller 121 that is in contact with the inner surface of theintermediate transfer belt 130 so as to stretch theintermediate transfer belt 130. In other words, the facingroller 105 is stretched by thebelt frame portion 124 a, and the drivingroller 121 is stretched by thebelt frame portion 124 b. By engaging the bearingportions positioning portions apparatus body frame 126, thebelt unit 125 is positioned in theapparatus body 101. In this embodiment, thebelt frame portions belt frame 124 are movable in a direction in which theintermediate transfer belt 130 extends (the directions of the arrows inFIG. 7 ). - With the above-described structure, the facing
roller 105 and the drivingroller 121 can be aligned by theapparatus body frame 126 by engaging the bearingportion 105 a of the facingroller 105 with thepositioning portion 126 a of theapparatus body frame 126 and engaging the bearingportion 121 a of the drivingroller 121 with thepositioning portion 126 b of theapparatus body frame 126. For this reason, it is possible to ensure a high positioning accuracy between the facingroller 105 and the drivingroller 121 and to achieve stable belt running. - A cleaning
portion 127 for removing residual toner remaining on theintermediate transfer belt 130 and a detectingportion 128 for detecting a toner image on theintermediate transfer belt 130 are respectively positioned and fixed to thebelt frame portions rollers rollers portion 127 and the detectingportion 128. - A structure for removing pressure from the
intermediate transfer belt 130 will now be described with reference toFIGS. 7 to 9 . - As shown in
FIG. 7 , apressure removing member 129 moves thetension roller 122 serving as the third stretching member from a first position to apply tension to theintermediate transfer belt 130 to a second position to remove the tension. Thepressure removing member 129 is provided in thebelt frame portion 124 b. By moving thepressure removing member 129 in the direction of the arrow inFIG. 8 , thetension roller 122 serving as the third stretching member is moved from the first position to the second position, and theintermediate transfer belt 130 is freed from tension applied by thetension roller 122. - In order to mount the
belt unit 125 in theapparatus body frame 126, the bearingportion 105 a of the facingroller 105 is engaged with thepositioning portion 126 a of theapparatus body frame 126 and the bearingportion 121 a of the drivingroller 121 is engaged with thepositioning portion 126 b of theapparatus body frame 126 in a state in which thetension roller 122 serving as the third stretching member is at the second position. Through these engagements, thebelt unit 125 is positioned by theapparatus body frame 126. Since tension is not applied from the third stretching member to theintermediate transfer belt 130 when thebelt unit 125 is mounted in theapparatus body frame 126, thebelt unit 125 can be easily positioned and engaged with thepositioning portions apparatus body frame 126. Moreover, the bearing portions are prevented from being worn during mounting. - By moving the
pressure removing member 129 in a direction opposite the direction of the arrow inFIG. 8 after thebelt unit 125 is mounted in theapparatus body frame 126, thetension roller 122 is moved from the second position to the first position, and applies tension to theintermediate transfer belt 130. - The
pressure removing member 129 can be moved from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position manually or automatically. When manual movement is performed, the application of tension from thetension roller 122 to theintermediate transfer belt 130 is canceled by moving thepressure removing member 129 to the position shown inFIG. 8 , as described above. By moving thepressure removing member 129 in the direction opposite the direction of arrow inFIG. 8 , tension is applied from thetension roller 122 to theintermediate transfer belt 130. - In contrast, automatic movement is performed by a pressure removing mechanism 131 including a pressure removing member shown in
FIG. 9 . The pressure removing mechanism 131 is automatically driven by the transmission of a driving force from the apparatus body to apressure removing gear 131 a. The driving force transmitted to thepressure removing gear 131 a is further transmitted topressure removing gears pressure removing gear 131 d has a cam (not shown), and the cam moves aslide member 131 e in the direction of the arrow inFIG. 9 by the transmission of the driving force.Arm members 131 f are thereby moved in the direction of the arrow, holdingmembers 131 g holding thetension roller 122 are turned, and thetension roller 122 moves to the second position to free theintermediate transfer belt 130 from the tension. The holdingmembers 131 g also serve as pressure removing members. Since the tension can be automatically removed in this way, it is unnecessary to apply tension when thebelt unit 125 is mounted, and the pressure can be automatically removed when thebelt unit 125 is removed. This makes replacement of thebelt unit 125 easier, and enhances usability. - In the above-described structure in which the
belt frame portions belt frame 124 are movable in the direction in which theintermediate transfer belt 130 extends, the two rollers, namely, the facingroller 105 and the drivingroller 121 can be aligned by theapparatus body frame 126 by engaging the bearingportion 105 a of the facingroller 105 with thepositioning portion 126 a of theframe 126 and engaging the bearingportion 121 a of the drivingroller 121 with thepositioning portion 126 b of theframe 126. For this reason, a high positioning accuracy between the facingroller 105 and the drivingroller 121 can be ensured, and stable belt running is possible when thebelt unit 125 is mounted in the apparatus body. Further, after thebelt unit 125 is positioned and mounted in theapparatus body 101 in a state in which theintermediate transfer belt 130 is free from tension, tension is applied to theintermediate transfer belt 130. Therefore, it is unnecessary to engage the bearingportions roller 105 and the drivingroller 121 with thepositioning portions apparatus body frame 126 while increasing the center distance between the facingroller 105 and the drivingroller 121 against the tension. Since this allows thebelt unit 125 to be replaced without changing the center distance between the facingroller 105 and the drivingroller 121, operability is enhanced and the bearingportions rollers portions - A positioning structure for a belt unit according to a second embodiment will now be described with reference to
FIGS. 10 and 11 .FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the belt unit of the second embodiment.FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the principal part of the belt unit of the second embodiment. - The second embodiment is substantially identical to the above-described first embodiment except for the structure of the belt unit that will be described below. Therefore, members having equivalent functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.
- A
belt unit 125 is fixed by screws to portions shown by the arrows inFIG. 10 in a state in whichrollers belt frame portions positioning tool 132. This can ensure the accuracies of therollers belt 130 facing photosensitive drums. In this case, in order to avoid interference between positioning portions of an apparatus body frame and therollers belt 130 while being in contact with the inner surface of thebelt unit 125, it is sufficient to engage only one of the bearings with the corresponding positioning portion. - A
belt frame 124 also includes acenter frame portion 133 serving as a third frame for fixing thebelt frame portions belt frame portions rollers center frame 133 by screws. In this case, when one of theframe portions center frame portion 133 so that adjustment can be made with thepositioning tool 132. In this embodiment, theframe portion 124 b is movable relative to thecenter frame portion 133. When themovable frame portion 124 b is simply screwed to thecenter frame portion 133, the alignment adjusted and fixed by the tension of theintermediate transfer belt 130 may be disturbed. Accordingly, an adhesive material, such as an adhesive or a double-sided adhesive tape, is provided in a screwingportion 133 a of thecenter frame portion 133, and theframe portion 124 b is screwed in a state in which the adhesive material lies between theframe portion 124 b and thecenter frame portion 133. This can prevent displacement due to the tension of the belt. - While the image forming apparatus according to the embodiments uses four image forming sections each including the photosensitive drum and so on, the number of image forming sections is not limited, and can be appropriately determined as needed.
- In the above-described embodiments, each process cartridge removably mounted in the image forming apparatus body includes, in combination, a photosensitive drum, and a charging device, a developing device, and a cleaning device serving as processing devices acting on the photosensitive drum. However, the structure of the process cartridge is not limited to the above, and the process cartridge may include, in combination, a photosensitive drum and any one of a charging device, a developing device, and a cleaning device.
- While the printer has been given as an example of an image forming apparatus in the above-described embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. Other image forming apparatuses can be used as long as they include a detachable belt unit having a belt stretched by a plurality of stretching members. For example, an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine or a facsimile machine, or an image forming apparatus having functions of these machines in combination, such as a multifunction apparatus, can be used. Alternatively, an image forming apparatus that uses a recording-material bearing member as the belt, that causes a recording material to be electrostatically drawn on the recording-material bearing member, and that sequentially transfers color toner images onto the recording material so that the images are superposed can be used. By applying the present invention to these image forming apparatuses, similar advantages can be obtained.
- While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent structures and functions. This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-043983 filed Feb. 26, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Claims (7)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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JP2008-043983 | 2008-02-26 | ||
JP2008043983A JP5078664B2 (en) | 2008-02-26 | 2008-02-26 | Image forming apparatus |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20090214274A1 true US20090214274A1 (en) | 2009-08-27 |
US8103189B2 US8103189B2 (en) | 2012-01-24 |
Family
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Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US12/393,896 Expired - Fee Related US8103189B2 (en) | 2008-02-26 | 2009-02-26 | Image forming apparatus having removable belt |
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US (1) | US8103189B2 (en) |
JP (1) | JP5078664B2 (en) |
Cited By (4)
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JP2013003519A (en) * | 2011-06-21 | 2013-01-07 | Canon Inc | Image forming apparatus |
US20140178095A1 (en) * | 2012-12-26 | 2014-06-26 | Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Image Forming Apparatus Having Reduced Height |
CN105005185A (en) * | 2014-04-21 | 2015-10-28 | 佳能株式会社 | Image forming apparatus |
US11953848B2 (en) * | 2022-02-17 | 2024-04-09 | Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. | Belt unit and method for assembling belt unit |
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JP2012003167A (en) * | 2010-06-21 | 2012-01-05 | Canon Inc | Image forming apparatus |
JP4678891B1 (en) * | 2010-07-05 | 2011-04-27 | キヤノン株式会社 | Electrophotographic image forming apparatus |
JP2013114210A (en) * | 2011-11-30 | 2013-06-10 | Canon Inc | Image forming apparatus |
JP6112841B2 (en) * | 2012-11-29 | 2017-04-12 | キヤノン株式会社 | Image forming apparatus |
JP6417840B2 (en) * | 2014-10-08 | 2018-11-07 | 株式会社リコー | Transfer device and image forming apparatus |
JP6138180B2 (en) * | 2015-01-28 | 2017-05-31 | キヤノン株式会社 | Image forming apparatus |
JP6537666B2 (en) * | 2018-04-19 | 2019-07-03 | キヤノン株式会社 | Image forming device |
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JP3287913B2 (en) | 1993-06-18 | 2002-06-04 | 株式会社リコー | Belt support device |
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JPH11338280A (en) * | 1998-05-25 | 1999-12-10 | Mita Ind Co Ltd | Image forming device |
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JP2002040753A (en) * | 2000-07-31 | 2002-02-06 | Kyocera Mita Corp | Transfer belt unit used for tandem full-color image forming device |
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JP2002365932A (en) * | 2001-06-11 | 2002-12-20 | Canon Inc | Imaging device |
JP2003098936A (en) * | 2001-09-21 | 2003-04-04 | Canon Inc | Image forming device |
JP3704085B2 (en) * | 2001-12-25 | 2005-10-05 | 京セラ株式会社 | Belt unit for electrophotographic equipment |
JP2003171030A (en) * | 2001-12-04 | 2003-06-17 | Canon Inc | Belt conveyance apparatus and image forming device |
JP4259073B2 (en) * | 2002-09-13 | 2009-04-30 | 富士ゼロックス株式会社 | Tension release device and image forming apparatus using the same |
JP2007041402A (en) * | 2005-08-04 | 2007-02-15 | Brother Ind Ltd | Belt unit, image forming apparatus, and belt unit assembling method |
JP4807109B2 (en) * | 2006-03-03 | 2011-11-02 | 富士ゼロックス株式会社 | Image forming apparatus |
JP4527143B2 (en) * | 2007-10-19 | 2010-08-18 | シャープ株式会社 | Image forming apparatus |
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US20070025762A1 (en) * | 2005-07-26 | 2007-02-01 | Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Image forming apparatus |
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JP2013003519A (en) * | 2011-06-21 | 2013-01-07 | Canon Inc | Image forming apparatus |
US20140178095A1 (en) * | 2012-12-26 | 2014-06-26 | Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Image Forming Apparatus Having Reduced Height |
US9256191B2 (en) * | 2012-12-26 | 2016-02-09 | Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Image forming apparatus having reduced height |
CN105005185A (en) * | 2014-04-21 | 2015-10-28 | 佳能株式会社 | Image forming apparatus |
US9599956B2 (en) | 2014-04-21 | 2017-03-21 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Image forming apparatus having a dual-position developing device |
US9703254B2 (en) | 2014-04-21 | 2017-07-11 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Image forming apparatus having a dual-position developing device |
US10061263B2 (en) | 2014-04-21 | 2018-08-28 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Image forming apparatus having a dual-position developing device |
US10488810B2 (en) | 2014-04-21 | 2019-11-26 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Image forming apparatus having detachable transfer unit |
US11953848B2 (en) * | 2022-02-17 | 2024-04-09 | Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. | Belt unit and method for assembling belt unit |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP5078664B2 (en) | 2012-11-21 |
JP2009204656A (en) | 2009-09-10 |
US8103189B2 (en) | 2012-01-24 |
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